Jerry Sandusky’s Wife Tells National Media Her Husband Is Innocent

The wife of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sat down with Matt Lauer on Today, for her first television interview since her husband had become a national news story for committing numerous counts of child sex abuse. Although her appearance on television was a first, not much else has changed in this story for Dottie Sandusky, who told national media that she believes her husband is innocent.

The two have been married for 47 years, but the 70-year old Jerry Sandusky is currently serving a prison sentence of 30 to 60 years. He was convicted in 2012 on 45 counts of sexual abuse. The counts range from a 15 year period and includes the abuse of multiple young boys.

“He is innocent,” his wife said on national television. She also said, unequivocally, that her husband was not the one who committed the heinous crimes that was such a high-profile story a few years ago. When Lauer asked her if her husband was responsible for the crimes that he was convicted of, she said that she thought it was an opportunity for some people to make some money and then once the lawyers got involved there was more money to go around.

When asked about the abuses specifically. she said that she does not believe her husband is guilty of his crimes but that she does believe he showered with kids, but that that was a part of the age and the times Jerry had grown up in. “There were always people coming in and out no matter what time that was.”

Also mentioned was a recent Washington Post story which said that sexual predators, like Sandusky, tend to pick wives or spouses “who can be counted on to suppress any unpleasant ideas that might occur to them.”

Clearly reading her own name between the lines, Dottie Sandusky told Lauer that she is not a spouse who is weak. She told him that those who know the family call her “Sarge” because Jerry had always said that she kept everybody on track and in line. She further responded to the Post by adding that if they want to print that they can, because she knows who she is and who her husband is, reiterating her belief that her husband did not do what he is convicted of having done.

There was also reference to an allegation that was made by one of the boys who was abused who said that he called out loudly in the basement of the Sandusky home, but that Dottie did not check to see what was happening. Mrs. Sandusky called this story a lie because she never heard anyone scream and that “he didn’t scream.”

The interview became very emotional when she began talking about her husband’s life now, saying that he misses the simple things of his old life, like family meals. She also said he spends 23 hours a day in a jail cell and is allowed outside, with handcuffs, for only one hour. However, despite these circumstances she also says that her husband is a “happy person.” She said he reads and meditates and spends time in the law library. She added that he is hopeful of getting out on appeal.

There was no word if Sandusky’s wife plans on continuing speaking to the media about her husband or continuing to speak out on this case and try to promote her husband’s innocence.